Education, economic experiences, anxiety about and support for the Czech reforms

Educated Czechs fared poorly during the communist regime (1948-1989) but ha ve done relatively well since its Tall. In eleven national surveys (1990-19 98) we examined whether Czech respondents' education was related to their e conomic experiences and attitudes toward the post-communist reforms, and wh ether these relations changed during the survey period. Educated respondent s reported less economic strain and unemployment before and after demograph ic controls, and these differences expanded during the survey period. They were more secure about the reforms and less fearful of unemployment before and after economic-experience and demographic controls, and these differenc es remained stable over the survey period. They were also less likely to pr efer socialism, more likely to prefer a free market. more likely to oppose a return to strong-hand government, and more likely to have a political ori entation on the right before and after controls that included anxiety about the reforms. Only the political-orientation difference between educated an d less-educated respondents expanded over the survey period. The economic e xperiences were related to anxiety, and anxiety was also related to support for the reforms. Overall, education had an effect on attitudes toward the reforms independent of economic experiences and other controls, although ec onomic experiences. anxiety, and support for the post-communist reforms wer e related in expected directions.